Four Humors Does Every Show at the Fringe, by Fringe perennials The Four Humors, snagged a last minute spot in the Festival after lingering on the wait list. Using the Fringe lottery ping-pong ball machine, they drew a number and proceeded to perform an improvised version of the the corresponding show. The "winner" at the show we saw was #35-Cursed, by Mark Rosenwinkel. Cursed, based on the play To Damascus, Part I by August Strindberg, describes itself as "a self-destructive artist runs off with a doctor's wife, embarking on a surreal and mysterious journey that tests the enduring power of love."

What would the Fringe be without a silly, over-the-top movie musical spoof? Top Gun: the Musical, which played to a sold-out audience at the Illusion, has barely any plot, a cheesy love story, and lots of eighties music. If you stop and analyze , you'll hate yourself for loving it. But isn't that the point of the movie too?

The Adventures of Tapman, by Chicago-based Tap Man Productions LLC, is a show for all ages, including younger children and their families. Tap Man (Tristan Bruns) fights an evil invisible guy and tries to impress the spunky Modern Marvel (Kate O'Hanlon) through dance. At first it was a lot of work to follow the details of the dialogue-heavy story. There are three characters in the show, but one of them is invisible. This makes it hard to follow the plot. The acoustics of the Illusion made it almost impossible to understand Tapman when he was speaking and tapping at the same time. Hopefully, the cast will make some adjustments for the remainder of the run.

The title Amateur Hour is a misnomer for the variety show playing at the Illusion Theater. There is nothing amateur about it. Featuring a cast of Fringe veterans, it has little bit of everything. Comic monologues, dance, improv, mime, poetry, whoopie cushions, go-go boots, haiku, Erik Satie, boxing for Jesus, and Michael Jackson's white glove. On paper, it sounds like one of Stefon's hottest nightclubs from Saturday Night Live. But at its core the show is a nostalgic look back on the beginnings of the cast. It's funny, but it's poignant too.

The first five minutes of Christopher Durang’s Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike starts off deceptively boring. Then, in the tranquil quiet of a living room full of wicker chairs, quilted throws and mismatched socks, Sonia hurls a white ceramic coffee mug to the ground in a fit of wild unhappiness. It’s loud, physical and absurd—much like the rest of the play.

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